Don Moore obit

Official Obituary of

Donald Graham Moore

August 14, 1938 ~ June 10, 2025 (age 86) 

He was not on the list.

Donald Graham Moore was 86 years old when he passed away Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Paul Moore and Emily Graham, Don grew up in a musical environment. His mother Emily was an operatic singer who trained with Marian Anderson’s coach. Inspired by Paul Chambers’ tone and feel on Miles Davis’ “Cookin’”, Don took up the double bass as a teenager, and soon found himself working as a professional musician, honing his skills with his Philadelphia peers, Lee Morgan, Kenny Barron, Reggie Workman and the Heath Brothers, among others. After graduating from Simon Gratz High School, Don toured Europe with Archie Shepp and other prominent jazz musicians, while making New York City his home base. He was a core member of The New York Contemporary Five and shared the bandstand with many of the greats, including John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Jackie McLean, Joe Henderson, and Grant Green.

Don’s commitment to justice, community and the well-being of people, ran as deep as his love for music. Alongside his work as a musician, he pursued a career in social work, engaging in grassroots community organizing and eventually earning a Master’s in Social Work from Stony Brook University. He went on to have a long and fulfilling career as a clinical social worker, all while continuing to perform regularly throughout the New York and New Jersey area.

Donald is survived by his wife Lea Kobayashi-Moore, a daughter Indra Rios-Moore and her husband Benjamin, a son Ryan Begel and a step daughter Zina Smalls. He was predeceased by his brothers Paul Moore and Leonard Moore. He is also survived by his niece, Genevieve Williams; his grandson, Paulo; and many loving friends and musical associates.

He became interested in the bass around the age of 18. He played and recorded with Archie Shepp, Don Cherry and others in the New York Contemporary Five in Europe in 1963. Later in the 1960s Moore worked with Jackie McLean. He recorded with Elvin Jones in 1966 and Clifford Thornton in 1967.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a memorial gathering on Tuesday, June 17th from 5 pm to 8 pm at the Boulevard Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 1151 River Road, New Milford, NJ 07646. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made in his memory to the hospice Villa Marie Claire at https://www.villamarieclaire.org/ or the Jazz Foundation of America http://www.jazzfoundation.org